AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But they should.
The men inside are already on guard, having watched us pull up to the curb. I hold my hand up, stopping everyone before bullets begin flying. I’d like to think it’s simply my presence that causes them to pause, though I know better.
The man in charge steps forward, his gun hangs loosely in his hand as he motions with it, carelessly pointing it at the four of us. His complete lack of safety pisses me off.
“Who the fuck are you?” Miguel Diaz barks as I glide forward.
This is my show now. Lory, Javier, and Tomas are simply backup dancers, witnesses to the foundation of deceit I’ve been laying all day. I’m paving the roads of the Estrada cartel in paranoia and distrust, one den at a time.
“No one,” I tell him, a flirty smirk gracing my deep crimson lips.
“She’s right about that.” He chuffs at his guys before turning his attention back to me. “A dead no one for kicking my door in like the fucking cops.”
“Oh, I’m not the cops.” I wander into the living room, the odd scent of tamales and marijuana causing me to flare my nostrils. “We’re here for a pickup.”
“I got nothing for you,” he says, holding his hands out like he can’t help me. “You’re at the wrong house. The lady two doors down sells candles. Go fuck with her.”
I grin at him, a dark, sadistic expression that has two of his guys backing up as they reach for their guns.
“But you do, Miguel,” I purr. “You absolutely do.”
“Listen, bi—”
“I wouldn’t,” Javier gruffly cuts him off. “Not if you like your balls attached to your body.”
Miguel points his gun at my head, his grip firm, though his eyes are wide as saucers. “Who the fuck are you?”
“My name isn’t so important,” I say, inching closer. “Put the gun down, Diaz. You aren’t going to shoot me, and your carelessness toward everyone’s safety is insulting.”
A few more of his guys shift uncomfortably around the room as two others join us from the hallway, making a total of nine. They’re all on edge, but none of them knows what to do.
This is what happens when you don’t train your men. He should know this, but I’m not here to educate him in proper protocol.
I lean in, letting the gun touch my forehead. “The Estradas will fall, and you don’t want to get caught up in that. It’ll cost you your life.”
He adds pressure, pushing the metal until the muzzle bites at my skin. “They won’t remember who you are when I’m done with you.”
I chuckle, a rasping sound that belays my excitement over the situation as I call his bluff.
Then I move.
As swiftly as I can, I grab the collar of his t-shirt and pull him into me, twisting until I can drop him flat on his back. A good hip toss has a certain amount of shocker-factor with it when the person being thrown doesn’t expect it. His body weight was actively working against him...
But I’m not going to explain any of this.
Instead, I smile down at Miguel as his gun slides across the fake-wood floor.
“This is now mine,” I declare, all signs of flirty banter gone. “You work for the Maldonados.”
“Fuck you,” he wheezes, trying to catch his breath. “We don’t fuck with no Maldonados.”
I hold my hand up, because Javier is always itching to help me kill some disrespectful dumbass. Only this time, he doesn’t stop at my unspoken command... He steps up and places a gun in my outstretched hand.
“Round them up, guys,” I command. “Put them in the corner. Find the cash.”
Miguel struggles to sit up, so I point my gun at him. One of Javier’s guns... The lunatic casually walks around with a small arsenal on his body, though I won’t complain. He’s one of the few people within the Maldonado Cartel that I know will lay his life down for me.
I’d dare say I almost trust him. He’ll be an asset to have at our backs in war. And if—when—he makes it out the other side alive, he’ll be someone Lory and I keep with us.
